The next day, Tomaru woke up from his sleep fully refreshed. The dark circles around his eyes had faded considerably. Although the feeling of having a spring dream was not bad, having it every day was more terrifying than a nightmare.
Especially as this dream was very irritating. He couldn’t get it in reality and he also couldn’t get it in his dream either. Tomaru got up and sorted things out. He took out ‘Make-Out Paradise’ from under the pillow and put it into his pocket, going over to work in the field, feeling rejuvenated.
The current Tomaru was much more efficient than his previous self. Coupled with his youthful strength, he completed today’s task in a short time. Then, seizing the chance when no one was there, he came to the ridge to read the novel.
In the evening, since there were more insects and mosquitoes outside, he sorted out his tools and returned home. Along the ridge, he saw Nohara Naoko in front of him.
Naoko also seemed to have noticed something, and looked back at Tomaru, then jogged towards her house. Looking at her beautiful back view, Tomaru swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and an instinctual impulse surged in his body.
At that time, the words Tonan said yesterday in the Fire Temple flashed through his mind. “Remember to take just one pack at a time. If the dose is too much, you’ll lose consciousness.”
Subconsciously, an evil thought was quietly planted.
……
A few days later, at night, the street was quiet and empty. Other than a few crows resting on the branch, and cawing from time to time, there were also some white pigeons scattered everywhere, cooing.
The households on both sides of the street had already turned off their lights and went to rest. On the quiet and deserted street, only a few dim street lamps were adding a little warmth.
Naoko’s face was pale, and her clothes were messy. She was walking step by step on the street like a lifeless body. Her eyes were filled with tears, obstructing her vision, which made her unable to see the direction she was heading. After a while, she stood under a lamp and slumped on the ground. Recalling what had just happened, she trembled in fear. She curled up and choked with sobs.
After an unknown period, a cold wind blew on the Revered Fire Street. Along with the whistling sound of the wind, Naoko shivered.
“It’s alright.” Suddenly, a gentle and magnetic voice rang in her ears, and her entire body seemed to be wrapped in warmth. She raised her tearful face and looked at the approaching person.
The smile on that person’s face was perfect. It seemed he always had a smile on his face. Such a smile was very bright as if it could push away the darkness of the clouds and light up the entire world. It was also gentle and calm.
Naoko was stunned for a moment, nearly forgetting the previous nightmarish experience. “It’s you… am I dreaming?”
Tonan draped a windbreaker on Naoko and muttered, “It’s so late and so cold outside. It’s not safe for a girl to be alone. I’ll escort you home.”
Tonan’s voice was gentle and soft, which pierced through the young girl’s heart. She stared straight at him and said, “I…”
“You can’t walk?” Tonan shook his head and gently picked her up by the waist, “Which direction is your home?”
Naoko curled up and raised her hand timidly, pointing into a distance. Tonan nodded and holding Naoko in his arms, he walked towards her home. On the way, she rubbed her head gently against him, unsure of whether this was a reality or a dream. She muttered, “What’s your name?”
“Tonan, a Leaf ninja.”
Naoko was startled, and the light in her eyes dimmed as she said, “Ninja…-sama…”
Tonan looked down at her and smiled, “I must be younger than you. You can just call me Tonan.”
Naoko looked pale, “Tonan…”
“Can you tell me what happened to you? Did you meet a bad person?”
Immediately after Tonan asked this, Naoko recalled the previous nightmarish experience, and her entire body trembled. She took a deep breath and forcibly held back her tears.
“I… nothing…”
“That’s good then.”
“It’s almost there, let me down.”
“Alright.”
At this moment, Naoko’s grandmother was standing outside the house, waiting with a worried look on her face. While looking left and right, she finally saw Naoko and Tonan walking around from a corner. She immediately walked over and held her granddaughter’s hand.
“Naoko, why did you return so late? I was scared to death.” Naoko could no longer hold back her tears when she saw her grandmother who was worried so much about her. But she still smiled forcibly and said, “Grandma, I fell asleep on the field.”
Naoko’s grandmother finally smiled and said while nodding repeatedly, “That’s fine, that’s fine. Young man, thank you for escorting Naoko back. Come in and have a seat.”
Tonan waved his hand, “No, it’s already late. I’ve to go back to the inn to rest.”
After speaking, he turned to leave. Naoko tightly grabbed the windbreaker she was wearing and said with a reluctant look, “Your jacket.”
Tonan turned around and smiled gently, “No need, take it as a gift for you.”
Naoko nodded, “Thank you.” She watched Tonan until he turned to another street. On the dimly lit street, Tonan heard hurried footsteps coming from behind. His steps immediately paused and he turned his head to look. He saw a panting Naoko at the end of the street. Seeing him turn around, Naoko shouted, “Tonan! We’ll meet again, right?”
Tonan shook his head, “It’s unlikely, I’m returning to Konoha.” Naoko was stunned for a moment, and a look of loss flashed through her eyes. She shouted again, “Nohara Naoko, that’s my name!”
Tonan smiled gently and waved his hand, turning to leave. “I’ll remember.”
Naoko’s eyes overflowed with tears, and she raised her hands to wipe them. Only after she was unable to see him, did she turn around and walked towards her home. At the door, Naoko’s grandmother said with concern, “Naoko…”
Naoko shook her head and walked straight into the house. “Grandma, I’m sleepy.”
In the bedroom, Naoko sat in front of a mirror for a long time… a long time… At some point, tears had already soaked her shirt. When Naoko came back to her senses, she saw the sky was already getting bright. Grabbing the windbreaker, she took out a pen and paper from the cabinet.
An hour later, the sound of something falling into the water came from the river not far away from Revered Fire Street. At the same time, a mournful sound of a flute resounded from the forest, and it instantly spread throughout the entire Revered Fire Street…
After playing a full verse, Tonan looked up at the sky, and an inexplicable look flashed through his eyes as he muttered, “It’s dawn.”
